Alf, a rewatch thread

[Iggy]

11. On the road again ***
written by Bob Bendetson & Howard Bendetson

We're on the road again with the two Bendetsons and it's a trip very similar to the first one (Looking for Lucky). We again have Alf seen by two strangers and they have no idea who he is. It did come off a bit more plausible this time with Willy buying him from the hunters as his lost pet, after a discussion on what he could be (dog, kangaroo, anteater). But I didn't like it the first time and I'm not a fan of it now. A thing that has fingers and walks on two legs, dunno but that would have to be a pretty genetically mutated aardvark. Despite the fact that the hunters weren't too bright (as Alf said, I'm surprised those two guys are able to talk), if you don't learn from your mistakes you'll repeat them and Bendetsons did that here.

The humor was good. Alf did score a couple of good one liners in that fight with Willie and the dinner scene with Willy praying to God to thank Him for saving their kitchen was great. Oh, and when you see the smoke through the kitchen window, that was a great shot .

It was also nice to have a change of scenery, get out of the house and show some greens and have the Tanners interact in another environment. So a point for that one.

I also think this episode was shot a lot earlier as the acting felt a bit... rougher. It's a pity we don't have the production schedule to see the order in which they shot and shuffled the episodes.

Not sure how to rate this one. I didn't like that copy/paste thing Bendetsons did but the episode was a funny one and it was nice to see some different locations... so 3 points in the end.


Best joke:
Willie: "You did start that fire. And then you watched TV while Kate and I put it out."
ALF: "I didn't think it was a three-man job."

Things broken: stove, motor home burned (off screen)

[Alfaholic]

Thanks for your efforts, did Alf break anything in eps #8 or #9?

[Iggy]

Nope, nothing broken there. He's breaking less stuff than I thought he would, at least for now

[Iggy]

12. Oh, Tannerbaum *****
written by Donald Todd

As so we arrive to season 1 Christmas special and this is my favorite ALF episode of all time. It could be cause I'm a huge Christmas fanatic that starts humming silent night as soon as All Saints day passes. Or it could be that I love this episode cause I had it taped on my very first VHS waaay back when I was a 4-5 years old kid (I still have that tape saved for sentimental reasons).

What this ep introduced me to, another reason why I love it as much, are the various American Christmas traditions (something that wasn't available to a young guy in a communistic country). So it was from this I've first heard about hanging stockings, eggnog, caroling (have to applaud the brilliant caroling joke here "you'd have to know Carol", well another something I didn't understand as that kid ), reindeer names etc. And I loved it all. It was a window to this whole different and lovely world outside. So now I also hang stocking on my fireplace, make eggnog and can recite reindeer names. I don't go caroling as I can't carry a tune, which is all right cause it's still not a tradition here.

The plot is great. Alf in his attempt to score some points with Santa ruins Tanner's Christmas tree and how great an idea is that? To chop a Christmas tree into firewood . We have a lot of laid back, warm moments where the family is just relaxed for the holidays and you can feel chemistry between them.

But the best part of the show are the scenes with Willie and Alf in the car, as they drive lost in search for a new tree. Such a great atmosphere here accomplished with good lighting and silence in the background as the two characters share some very honest moments. It was great to see Willie open up to Alf, and it was great to see Alf getting that tree and putting it in the car (and thus showing how much he really cared) and it was even greater to see Alf so exhilarated at the sight of snow. And yeah I'm using the word "great" too much in this review.

Trevor was also fantastic here, the way he mistletoed Kate and how she ignored it in a good neighborly fashion and the eggnog jokes between him and Lynn. And the coat hanger. It was good to see him again, he's such a funny character.

Had to screenshot Lynn's sweater too, I actually never noticed it until now and it's hilarious (as such Christmas sweaters tend to be).



Another thing that deserves to be pointed out are the lovely Christmas jingles done in the style of ALF's soundtrack. Well done Alf Clausen (and isn't it really strange that a guy who made music here is named Alf Clausen? ).

On another educational note I also found out what sloppy Joes are thanks to this and what the Donner party was. Who says you can't learn stuff by watching sitcoms.

No surprise with the final mark here. This is a true Christmas classic for me and even after seeing it over a dozen times I'm sure I'll still be watching it every holiday season.


Best joke:
Willie: "And it comes with a can of simulated snow."
Alf: "If you'd gotten two cans, we could have made a simulated snowman."

Things broken: Christmas tree chopped

[TheOldAlfer1]

keep up the good work Iggy. Really enjoying this thread

[Alfaholic]

Iggy, your reviews are great and I love it when you include a pic from the show. Keep it up!

Alfaholic

[Iggy]

Thanks guys, I'm glad you like the thread. It's very encouraging to hear that


13. Mother and child reunion ***
written by Bob Bendetson & Howard Bendetson

This episode really contributed a lot to the whole show. It introduced a new recurring character, Kate's mother Dorothy. I thought Anne Meara did a pretty good job here (interesting to note that she's Ben Stiller's mother, not to mention that she's still acting quite a lot). She felt comfortable in that role and came off quite natural. It's also neat to have a character that isn't charmed by Alf, and one who actually dislikes him quite a lot. It's a first. And since Kate was the one Tanner that's taking the longest time to really warp up to Alf I like that the writers took that a step further and made her mother be even more at odds with him.

We also have a first "Kate" episode, which is only fair since Willie got his and Lynn got several. It was about time we got some more background on her after some bits in "Jump". I guess it's just your regular parent/child conflict so Kate has to find the courage to stand up to her Mom. I expected her to snap at Dorothy a lot earlier but she was strangely calm and considerate. Not calling Kate inconsiderate, but she is straightforward and practical and confident so it was a bit surprising to see her retreat to the daughter role.

Despite these important additions the episode still gets an average mark. Not that there was anything wrong, but I think it needed either a bit more drama or a bit more comedy. This way there weren't that many jokes and the conflict was handled rather easily in the end, but we were treated to some nice family moments. We'll see what happens in the next one.


Best joke:
well it was a toss up between Alf's poke "go for it Willie" when he and Kate started jumping on the bed but in the end the muzzle was maybe more imaginative

[Alfaholic]

Iggy, fantastic stuff! Is it possible to have the following after each review? Kind of like in an Alf Format lol?!

Screen shot pic from episode
Best Joke:
Things Broken:
Wikimelmac:
Glitches: If applicable

I know it may not be possible to have Wikimelmac and Glitches in every review but it definitely is cool to have an included pic from the episode, Best Joke, and Things Broken.

Maybe a funny Alf rating system would be a great addition as well! "No Problem!" "It Killed Me!" etc.

Thanks again!
Alfaholic

[Iggy]

Screenshot isn't a problem, the only reason I haven't included one in every review is that I've been thinking to save on bandwith. Though the pics are small so if Admin says it's ok I'll include one in every ep.

Best joke I try to always include, as well as things broken (if I don't point out that something was broken it means Alf behaved in that particular episode ). And we'll have a "no things broken" count in the end.

And yeah like you said, wikimelmac and glithes don't come out in every episode.

I was considering to include the "No problem" count but thought it would be too much work so I let that one slip. Maybe in the next rewatch

[Alfaholic]

Great, I just wanted to add I thought Alf's "Alien on Strike" picketing was hilarious (obviously Brian thinks so too, in background) in episode #13.

[Iggy]

14. A little bit of soap *****
written by Laurie Gelman



And there, this is what you get when you add more drama AND more comedy to a show. I found this one to be really great and Laurie Gelman is certainly on a roll now. After a somewhat disappointing starter with "Keepin' the faith" she had a very good "Baby you can drive my car" and now she got her first 5 star ep.

I love that we pick up where the last episode left us. Continuity is always a great thing, especially in a sitcom. We start with Alf trying to get rid of Dorothy by nailing a sign on a door and packing her travel bags. And we have a great scene with them as they fight for the control of the remote (or control of the house). It's great how much energy and chemistry these two show together. I thought Alf was sweet with Jody, and was funny with all those people he communicated with on the phone, but his relationship with Dorothy is really the best so far.

It's also a great idea to have Alf get involved in a soap opera and to have him profit from it. I don't mean profit as in monetary gain, but as getting what he wanted. So it's fun to see him use this different tactic to bring "harmony to the household", as Willie put it. And then it was also very sweet to see him use the same approach to make things not just right, but better between Kate and her mother. It really shows the character of Alf perfectly in one episode. Again in Willie's words, he is both considerate and inconsiderate.

The garage scene with Willie and Alf was also fantastic. You just gotta love the bond between those two, how Willie comes to comfort him. And also how great the puppet is able to portray being on 50 coffee cups. Another moment when it's so easy to accept Alf as a living being.

Another thing that I loved here, is a very smart poke Ms. Gelman forwarded to herself and her fellow writers through lines 'I thought you were so upset with the rewrites you'd never write another script again'; 'I wasn't'; 'So what happened?'; "The check came.". It's just classy work from her.


Best joke:
Alf: "I'll tell you what's happening. The same thing that was happening last year. The show needs a plot transplant."

Things broken: /

Wikimelmac: Clothespins are used as a form of acupressure to relieve writer's block.

[Iggy]

15. I've Got A New Attitude ****
written by Thad Mumford



I'm assuming that the new attitude refers to Dorothy as she goes through a nice arc in this episode, but I also think it could be related to Alf and his change, not only in the relationship with Dorothy, but in compassion and thoughtfulness he put in order to help her I think he changed as well.

Right from the start this episode gets a * for once again continuing on the previous episode. The whole Dorothy arc was a very worthy addition to season 1 and I'm glad it was given this much screen time and attention. It very much strengthened this whole setting and the Tanner family and relationships between their members. The show is richer thanks to it.

We start the episode with Dorothy's moving out being delayed just for a bit longer. Alf again swaps some insults with her so we're in familiar territory.

Then we move on the main topic and it's a serious one. When is it all right to move on in life after you lose your spouse? And how can you help not to feel guilty for liking another person? Those are big questions to answer in a comedy piece. Personally I don't think I'd ever be able to do what Dorothy did, I think I would keep hoping that there's something after this life where we'd be able to continue. Dorothy was brave for being able to let go.

We also see a very good side of Alf. He really did fantastic, was very unselfish and imaginative in trying to preserve Dorothy's integrity yet help her do what was in the end best for her. So the entire séance show and Jack Rabbit mailing himself in a box, it shows what a big heart our furry alien has.

Whizzer was another great character. Very funny and likable guy portrayed to perfection by Paul Dooley who still keeps himself quite busy with various TV shows. He even stole the comedy part from Alf in this episode and that says a lot. Looking forward to seeing him again.

So with all these praises why not all 5 stars? Well some bits just bothered me, the chicken joke ("get in that henhouse, shoo", they wouldn't be able to sell that one to those 2 hunters from "On the road again" let alone a smart guy like Whizz) and the thanking an empty room superstition. They just really didn't click with me so hence the * minus. A bit harsh but there you go

Overall this was a brilliant episode, as expected when we saw Thad Mumford was the one that wrote it.


Best joke:
"Does Bob Hope still have teeth?"
"Alf, forget it"
"You're right. A man his age shouldn't be eating pork."

Things broken: flushed goldfish, dining room table damaged

[Iggy]

16 & 17. Try to remember *
written by Laurie Gelman, Bob Bendetson, Howard Bendetson, Donald Todd



I have two theories about this one. Either the show was becoming more and more popular with a lot of new viewers tuning in that the producers thought they would do a recap of all the previous episodes so it would be easier for those people to get up to speed. Or the show was nearing it's season 1 budget and they needed to cut back on costs so they decided to put a collage of various clips from already aired episodes. I can understand both of these choices and I don't like either.

First off I'm not mad about amnesias in television. They are far too popular and too controlled and too cheesy. I guess it's a good option to use if you want to connect parts from various previous episodes, but again I don't like it.

We did start off well with a whirling hot tub/mixer joke. And Alf did a good job as Wayne Schlagel, especially when he was on the phone with his secretary. But that was about all.

I don't think I would be as harsh if this was a normal length episode but from show's first two-parter I wanted more. I think this episode came too early, was clumsily placed in the middle of the first season and that it had far too many clips and too little new material. Imagine if Alf went to that motel to meet with Brenda, now that would be an interesting new scene that would push the main plot to a new level.


Best joke:
Willie: "You know, I liked you better as an alien. You were annoying, but you were never boring."

Things broken: /

Glitches: 3 clips used as flashbacks were taken from episodes that still haven't aired

[Iggy]

18. Border song *
written by Donald Todd



Despite some interesting ideas this episode really fell short.

We had Alf interact with a new character who had difficulty adapting to a new environment so that was the connection between them. But Phillip Gordon as Luis Mancia just wasn't something. Granted for a non-English speaking part that wasn't subtitled he didn't have a lot to work with. But he still failed to provoke any emotion at all, something that for example Whizzer or Jody did manage. I did laugh when he shouted "diablo" after seeing Alf for the first time.

We also had Alf take a new hobby, gardening, which was cute enough. I liked the zucchini jokes but I think they overdid the manure ones.

And it was nice to see more of Willie's work and his interaction with Ms. Wine was a funny one.

And that's about all I have to say about this ep. I didn't think the humor was much and the best joke selected was more forced than anything. The final mark was really a toss up between * and **. "Keepin' the faith" got ** and it was a better episode than this one so it's * in the end.

To end here's a cool little piece of trivia, did you know that the guy who played Warren in this episode (Earl Boen) is the same guy that gave voice to Monkey Island's LeChuck?


Best joke:
Kate: "You know it's really weird. None of the other plants will grow but we have enough zucchini to fill a
warehouse."
Alf: "It's weirder than you think. I didn't plant zucchini."

Things broken: hoe

[Iggy]

19. Wild Thing *****
written by David Silverman & Stephen Sustarsic



Now this was much much better. Not only better but a brilliant episode. It plays on the stranger, more dangerous alien part of Alf that was used when the show started and it works wonders. Everything, from having Alf act even crazier, telling Willie to build a cage and lock him in, and then causing mayhem in Ochmonek's house to finally chase cats around on a riding mower (shame we didn't see that on camera). It's fantastic writing and gave a very entertaining half an hour.

The humor was top notch. From having Alf barge in Kate's shower: he wouldn't/he might/[Kate screams]/he did; Willie's line when he came to Ochmoneks in the middle of the night saying he was hoping to get lucky; and then the am I smelling bacon/no/well why not; it's all just classy. I also loved the scene where Trevor and Willie are singing Sinatra, did you noticed the look on Trevor's face when he saw Willie singing along? It was great.

Lynn also takes off her bracers in this episode, and she wears some amazing pjamas that just deserved to get screenshotted



And how about the final scene, with the tiger in the garage? All I'll say is: Alf 1 : Hangover 0.




Best joke:
Alf: Where's Kate?
Willie: In the shower.
Alf: Thanks.
Lynn: He wouldn't.
Willie: He might.
[Kate screams]
Willie: He did.

Things broken: Raquel's riding mower

[Iggy]

20. Going Out Of My Head Over You ***
written by Bob Bendetson & Howard Bendetson



There's a different pace in this episode. It starts very relaxed and we can see the Tanners just live their normal routine for the first half of the show. Lynn does her nails, they tolerate their intrusive neighbor (and don't we all have one like Ms Ochmonek?), Willie goes up in the middle of the night to get a glass of milk... and in-between all that Alf teases them with his newly acquired joke kit. The farting pillow was absolutely hilarious when Raquel sat on it, the squirting flower was also funny enough, and the arrow made for a good screenshot. So the entertaining part is there

But what this episode really works at is to show what's going inside Willie's head who's having more and more difficulty tolerating Alf's recklessness. So thanks to that we get a new recurring character, the psychologist Larry who brings to the show a unique, more neutral perspective on the whole Tanner family situation.

Basically what this ep sets to show is that Alf and Willie care for each other. I'm not sure why they had to emphasize it, I certainly had the feeling they were great friends. They do fight a lot but it's just the way they do things and I never had the feeling it was out of hate. They display so much chemistry together and they've had plenty of powerful emotional scenes in the show (in "Help me Rhonda", "Oh Tannerbaum", "A little bit of soap", just to name a few...).

I have to say the roleplaying method was interesting to see, though I think Willie could have done that one a bit better. And the final shot when Alf is watching Willie sleep almost pushes it over the cliché line...

A nice episode overall.


Best joke:
Alf (mimicking Willie): "I think we watch enough TV in this house. We should do something more stimulating. I know, let's conjugate verbs!"

Things broken: /

WikiMelmac: on Melmac it's considered rude to chew with you mouth closed - people think you're hiding something

[Iggy]

21. Lookin' Through the Windows *****
written by Bob Bendetson

Well the way season 1 was going I never thought I'd give Bendetson 5 stars but the man has done it. It was such a fun episode with all the goodies needed. Hilarious humor throughout the show, starting with Alf eavesdropping on Trevor and Raquel fighting and awarding points to each of them - one of the funniest things I've seen in the series.

We had some scary scenes with the two shots of Trevor lurking over Alf giving me a good nudge. Very good directing there. Then we had some tense moments with Alf teasing fate by sneaking behind Trevor's back and giving Willie a playful wave, again it was such a great scene. Willie calling Trevor on the phone to distract him and Alf answering that call. Just wonderful.

We had some good family time with the dinner scene and the kitchen scene (I really liked Kate calling Lynn Linnie there, it was a lovely little detail that made it more believable). And we had another "Alf drops in the bedroom while Willie and Kate are sleeping and wakes them up" scene, dunno why but I really love those , I guess it just shows that ultimate annoyance on Alf's part. Soundtrack was also good with some nice new licks.

Oh and we also have more Trevor and Raquel fun. It's always good to see those two get some screen time and they once again did a brilliant job. It was a great move from Bob Bendetson to centre an episode on them. Everything really worked for me here. It was so much fun to watch it and it had so much good content that it certainly makes the favorites list.


Best joke:

I'll give her half a point.

Things broken: /

[Iggy]

22. It Isn't Easy... Bein' Green **
written by Wendy Graf & Lisa Stotsky



And it isn't easy making a Brian episode. I guess it's never easy to write an episode that has your youngest cast member in the spotlight. Of course, you have to do it in order to give their characters some development so I'll give the writer at least a point for bravery. I think Benji does ok when given a few one liners but I don't think he can yet carry a whole episode. It's not a bad episode but it did come across as perhaps bland and predictable. The humor was also a bit poorer here and the best joke was rather force-picked.

I really do feel bad about Brian for having to dress as an asparagus and sing a silly song in front of people. And I guess the topic of the episode is something most kids could relate to, a mixture of stage fright and bullying and tolerating adults when they put you in these embarrassing situations that are bound to be used as "funny" anegdotes when you bring a date over for dinner in 10 years time. I don't remember if I related to Brian when I watched the show at his age so maybe the review would have been different then.

We did get treated to some good moments. Alf and Lynn rapping at the start and then to have Willie break their rhythm was a traditionally great start to an episode. We had the Melmacian mating call. Not sure what the sound effects guy used there but it was weird. Spencer really was a fungus but he was a good type of fungus. I had my money on Alf breaking that toy he brought but sadly it didn't happen. And Alf was a real sweetheart for comforting Brian and encouraging him to make the attempt.

Alf also called the Jack Rabbit carrier service again, good for continuity as he also used them in "I've got a new attitude" to mail himself to Dorothy. It's nice when details like this get honored.

I also noticed a "Rebel without a cause" poster hanging on Lynn's door, guess she's a James Dean fan.

Best joke:
Willie: "While we're gone I trust you won't be coming into any mischief."
Alf: "You do?"
Willie: "Not really."

Things broken: /

Glitches: I'm pretty sure Lynn has her bracers on again. As she took them off 3 episodes ago I guess this must have been filmed earlier.

[Iggy]

23. The Gambler ***
written by Thad Mumford & Laurie Gelman

I haven't kept a list of the most dangerous things Alf did (making a mental note to make that list for the season overview) but this was definitely one of the worst. A 6000$ gambling debt with a mobster.

Gambling plus a garage sale plus Dorothy guarantees a good episode. The humor was solid. The Fish related jokes were ok, Dorothy and Alf continued their bickering and Willie hiding some of his mementos from Kate who's set of getting rid of them was also good. The final shot with Alf and Willie both digging through trash was a hilarious scene of camaraderie.



It also offered a strong moral story - don't get a gambling debt with anyone who has an animal nickname. Though that one should be obvious without the TV telling it to you. I loved the shot where Alf was hiding under the table from The Fish.

There was also a good line here with Alf telling everyone that they knew how obsessive-compulsive he is and that they needed to protect him from himself


Best joke:
Brian: "Is he in trouble again"
Willie: "Yeah"
Lynn: "What does it involve this time, food or money?"
Alf: "Have I become that predictable?"

Things broken: /

[Iggy]

24. Weird Science ****
written by Paul Fusco

I remembered this episode as one of the poorer season 1 attempts, but rewatching it I found it to be quite good actually.

Brian makes a solar system model for his science project, Alf persuades him to include 2 more planets not yet discovered by human scientists and his teacher fails him for that. In teacher's defense, it really was bad . But despite the somewhat simplified approach it did contain a good message on creativity and freethinking, and an even better 'this is what our science carnival is all about, freethinking/it is?/it is now' line from Brian's school teacher once the problem was put in front of cameras.

Now the B story was the real gem here. The TV gets broken and Alf gives Willie absolute hell over it. From calling him urgently home from work, reading over his shoulder, signing a petition, to blowing up the TV in his face while he was trying to repair it. Not to mention the Danny DeVito joke



Alf going to dental school cause Melmacians only have 4 teeth making it an easy job was another great line worthy of mentioning.

Only thing I was disappointed with was Willie's acting in the scene with Mrs. Lyman, I think he just overdid the weirdness there.

Best joke:
Kate: "Oh Alf I already said you could use the portable TV in the bedroom."
Alf: "It's too small. It makes everyone look like Danny DeVito."

Things broken: /

Only 2 more to go before the first season is done.